An estimated 5.73 million arrivals were made by residents in Taiwan to the Chinese Mainland in 2016, showing a 4.2% growth compared with 2015. At the same time, people from the Chinese Mainland made 3.61 million arrivals in Taiwan, marking a decrease of 14.4% in tourists. That was the first drop among mainland travelers to the island in eight years, said Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

Ma said civilian communications between the mainland and the island have been developing continuously, especially in terms of youth exchanges, internships, and employment opportunities, and that both sides have shown that a strong bond between

the mainland and the island exists, through family ties and peaceful development.

The spokesman said moving forward there will be ongoing and even reinforced support for cross-Straits relations in various fields and many aspects, and he welcomed more people from the island to visit the mainland. Ma also stated that work will continue to find solutions on specific issues related to study, work, and daily life for people from Taiwan on the mainland.

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